Bermuda’s Opposition Leader Craig Cannonier has said the report from the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee demonstrates that it is out of touch with the territory.
He came to this conclusion in response to a recommendation from the Committee that the category of belongership which makes it impossible for some British citizens in British Overseas Territories to vote or hold elected office should be phased out. He was also opposed to the suggestion that “non-Bermudians” should have the right to determine the direction of the country via the ballot box. In his view, this suggestion demonstrated a lack of understanding of Bermuda’s history and the struggle black Bermudians had in getting the right to vote in the first place.
He was of the opinion that the right to vote was hard won and would be devalued if the Committee’s recommendations were forced on the territory. Mr Cannonier also took umbrage with the proposals regarding same sex marriage and the publication of registers of beneficial ownership which he said are not a global standard.
